Showcasing the Idea: Top Tips for Writing a Strong PBIF Application

You have a concept. You know what you want to build. Now comes the part where you have to put it on paper — and on camera. Eleanor Davis, Director of PBIF, shares the top tips on what actually lands with reviewers and what most applicants get wrong.

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1. Start with the video — seriously

Before we get into the concept note, a word about the application video, because it deserves more attention than most applicants give it.

Don't overthink it. The video is not a chance to summarize your proposal — it's a chance to show us who you are. Help reviewers get to know you and your team, and hear your story directly from you.

What we're looking for:

• Your understanding of the problem

• An introduction to your project and your team — and why you're the right people to do this work

• A coherent story about why this work matters and what you hope to accomplish

• Any demonstrations of the work so far, if applicable

What we're not judging:

• Production quality — an iPhone video or a voiceover slide deck is completely fine

• Length — keep it to 3–5 minutes; more isn't better

• Whether you appear on camera

• Accents or verbal polish

Have fun with it! This is one of the few parts of the grant application that lets your personality come through. 

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2. What a strong concept note actually does

Open with clarity and specificity

A weak opening describes a general problem. A strong opening makes a specific, compelling case for why this project matters right now — and demonstrates that you understand the problem deeply.

For Early Concept proposals, you don't need to have conducted extensive research, but there needs to be a believable hypothesis behind the work. For Pilot proposals, you should be building on prior experience and backing your hypothesis with evidence.

The purpose of the concept note is to help reviewers get a clear picture of your vision — especially the "why" behind it. A concept note that makes a clear, specific case for why the project is important right now will be more successful than one that's thorough but vague.

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3. Write a hypothesis that actually means something

The RFP asks for a clear hypothesis. Here's what a strong one looks like in practice:

We believe that doing [this action] will solve [this problem] for [these people]. We believe this because [this evidence]. If we are right, we will see changes in [these metrics or observable evidence].

A strong hypothesis also articulates:

• Why the problem you're focused on is real and worth solving — and how you know

• What specifically you're proposing to do, and why you believe it will work

• What will be different as a result of the project, and how you'll know

The most common ways this gets fumbled: lack of specificity, insufficient evidence, and spending more time on the solution than on the problem, the people affected, or the intended outcomes. Your tool will not and cannot address all problems. Stay focused on what it fixes and for whom.

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4. Take Responsible AI seriously — don't just check the box

Responsible AI is a core evaluation criterion, and reviewers can tell immediately when a team is treating it as a formality.

What a serious answer looks like:

• Genuine thinking about potential risks — not just risks to project success, but unintended consequences for specific subgroups

• Thoughtfulness around data types (PII or not), data sources, and data governance, including privacy safeguards, access controls, and required data use agreements. We don't need every detail in the concept note, but we'll be looking for evidence you've thought about it — and we'll ask finalists for specifics.

• A real description of the role humans will play in the process — not just "human-in-the-loop" as a phrase, but some indication of how and who

What checking the box looks like: using keywords without describing what they mean in the context of your specific project. 

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5. Don't neglect what happens after

This is the most common thing applicants underexplain, and reviewers always want more on it.

Many proposals make a strong case for why the project matters and what will happen over the course of the grant — but say almost nothing about what comes next. If you're proposing an ambitious pilot but haven't thought about how it could integrate into existing systems and scale once the project ends, reviewers won't be convinced you've thought the proposal through.

Strong proposals demonstrate a long-term vision for how the project fits into a broader theory of change. We don't need a 10-year plan, but you should show that you've thought about where this goes.

Other things reviewers consistently want more on:

• The complexities of working in a government context — plain language requirements, integration needs, security requirements, procurement realities

• The role of humans in the system — what are the key checkpoints, when and how are humans involved, and what would need to change for them to have the capacity to do so?

• What would need to change about the status quo for your project to be possible — do people need to know your tool exists? Do you need access to data that isn't currently collected or formatted in a specific way?

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One final piece of advice for Phase 1

The concept note is only 3 pages. Its purpose is not to lay out every detail of your implementation plan but to tell a compelling story about who you are, why your project matters, and to demonstrate that you've thought through the "how."

We don't need every detail — just enough to establish credibility and get our team excited to learn more.

And one note on AI: we recognize that AI can be a powerful writing tool. Please use it wisely. 

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Applications for the Spring 2026 PBIF Open Call are open now through May 15, 2026. To learn more or apply, visit centerforcivicfutures.org/pbif-open-call. Questions? Reach us at info@publicbenefitinnovationfund.org.

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